Process for the treatment of wood material and the product thereof



Patented Get. 2, 1923.

FATE

r .3: FFICE.

VILLEHAD HENRIK FORSSMAN, OF COLOGNE, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WOOD MATERIALAND THE PRODUCT THEREOF.

no Drawing. Continuation of application Serial No. 593,649, filed October 10, 1922. This application filed,

March 31', 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLEHAD HENRIK FonssMAN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Cologne, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Treatment of Wood Material and the Product Thereof, of which the following is a specification, the same being a continuation of my application entitled Process for the production of preserved wood and wood bodies and the-product thereof, filed October 10', 1922, Serial Number 593,649.

The objects of this invention are to provide an efiicient and economical process for the-treatment of wood material so as to render it less affected by atmospheric conditions, including variations in temperature and humidity and to provide wood material which will not warp, contract and otherwise change its form when exposed to usage conditions.

Wood material consists principally of fibres and superposed and interposed cells.-

The inner spaces of these'cells enclose hygroscopic substances, whose changing degrees of humidity tend to cause inner tensions in the wood material and consequent deformations. There are also within the cells albumen or ferment substances which tend to putrefy, this affecting the form and characteristics of the wood material.

The invention of my process consists broadly in suitably treating the-contents of as large a number as practicable of these cells, the maximum results being obtained by mechanically opening as many as possible either by washing out the hygroscopic and ferment substances therein or by treating them with a suitable neutralizing solution, as for example, one containing chrome alum with or without formaldehyde, or by washing and then neutralizing the undesirable -hygroscopic and ferment qualities of the cell contents.

The wood material tobe treated, is first separated into one or more thin layers by suitable mechanical methods, such as by cutting, slicing, etc. If every cell is opened so that its contents can be treated, theoretical perfection will be attained, but-it is unnecessary a well as usually impracticable to strive for such accuracy. In the case oi woods of central Europe, I have obtained remarkable results with layers of about a Serial No. 629,173.

tenth of'a millimetre thickness, in, which.

layers most of the .cells were exposed, but it -is not necessary to employ such very thin layers in the use of my process, as thin layers of wood materials of two and a half millimetres thickness can be successfully treated by my process.

The reason therefor is that the washing solution or the neutralizing solution may penetrate into the' interior of some wood cells, even if they are not opened and favorably act upon their contents. A thin layer, or a number of thin layers superposed upon each other, is subjected to a suitable washing out liquid, ,which washes out from the opened cells the undesirable hygroscopic and ferment substances. Preferably, however, I employ only a neutralizing solution, such as onecontaining chrome alum or chrome alum and formaldehyde,'which neutralizes by rendering the hygroscopic substances withinthe opened or adjacent'cells non-hygroscopic and by coagulating and making insoluble the albumen and ferment substances which would otherwise cause fermentation and putrefaction.-

Thin wood layers when treated as above described become soft and pliable so that superposed layers may be readily shaped by merely stretching over a core or placing in a mould. The application of heat and pressure or either may. be employed to facilitate the described treatment. During the treatment, the treated layers expand and swell considerably, there being a correspondingly great contraction upon drying, which has theefi'ect of causing to disappear duringdrying any folds occurring-during the expanding and swelling of the material.

Wood material treated by my process pos-- sessesthe very valuable characteristics of being substantially immune from deformations caused by variations in temperature,

and humidity as encountered during usage.

I claim:

1. The process of treating. a thinlayer of woodmaterial comprising the washing out of hygroscopic and fermentsubstances from a substantial number of its cells and the subjection of such cells to a'solution adapted to neutralize the hygroscopic and ferment qualities of the remaining substances in said cells.

2. The process of treating a thin layer of woodmaterial comprising the washing wood material comprising the washing out of hygroscopic and ferment substances from -,a.plurality of its mechanically opened cells and thesubjection of such cells to a solu- -,tion adapted to neutralize the hygroscopic vand ferment qualities of the remaining substances in said cells.

4. The process of treating a thin layer of wood material comprising the subjection of the contents of a substantial number of its cells to a solution containing chrome alum.

5.. The process of treating a thin layer of Wood material comprising the subjection of the contents of a substantial number of its cells to a solution containing chrome alum and formaldehyde.

6. Vood material in a thin layer characterized by its quality of plasticity when suitably treated and its subsequent permanency of deformation, after having been shaped and treated.

7. Wood material in a thin layer, substantially saturated bya solution containing chrome alum. p

8. Wood material in a thin layer, having the characteristics resulting from treatment, comprising the Washing out of hygroscopic and ferment substances from a substantial number of its cells and the subjection of such cells to a solution adapted to neutralize the hygroscopic and ferment qualities of the remaining substances in said cells.

9. Wood materialin a thin layer, having the characteristics resulting from treatment, comprising the washing out of hygroscopic and ferment substances from a plurality of its mechanically opened cells and the subjection of such cells to a solution adapted to neutralize the hygroscopic and ferment qualities of the remaining substances in said cells.

10. Wood'material having the characteristics resulting from treatment comprising the subjection of the contents of'a sub-stantial number of its cells,to a solution containing'chrome alum. 11. Wood material having the characteristics resulting from treatment comprising the subjection of the contents of a substantial number'of its cells to a solution containing chrome alum andformaldehyde.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses. VlLLEHAD HENRIK FORSSMAN.

Witnesses: v ERIE D. ROORANZ',-. H. Emoao HAAS. 

